Extendible and retractable accessory for articles of furniture and support for the same



Dec. 25, 1962 H J OHN 3 070,340

.C EXTENDIBLE AND RETRACTABLE ACCESSORY FOR ARTICLE S 0F FURNITURE ANDSUPPORT FOR THE SAME Filed Nov. 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 fldro/a M(a/N7 INVENTOR.

Arro/wvtr 1962 H. J. COHN 3,070,340

EXTENDIBLE AND RETRACTABLE ACCESSORY FOR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE ANDSUPPORT FOR THE SAME Filed Nov. 14, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Hora/0 (0/20INVENTOR.

EZ/La-ZW H. J. COHN' Dec. 25, 1962 3,070,340 EXTENDIBLE AND RETRACTABLEACCESSORY FOR ARTICLES SUPPORT FOR THE SAME OF FURNITURE AND UnitedStates Patent 3,070,340 EXTENDIBLE AND RETRACTABLE ACCESSGRY FURARTICLES 0F FURNITURE AND SUPPGRT FOR THE SAME Harold J. Colin, 1205Congress Ave, Houston, Tex. Filed Nov. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 6%,849 7Claims. (ill. 248284) This invention relates to furniture, and moreparticularly to a tray and supporting structure therefor which may beapplied to a drawer of an article of furniture, or the like, to permitthe tray to be moved to an extended position out of the drawer or to aretracted position Within the same.

The invention may be used for a variety of purposes where it is desiredto provide a tray, shelf, or the like to hold any desired articles andto support the same in an extended position at a convenient location forthe user and to permit the same to be moved to a retracted orout-of-the-way position when desired.

An important object of the invention is to provide a tray and supportstructure therefor adapted to be attached to a drawer of an article offurniture and which are designed f-or coaction to support the tray in anextended position out of the drawer or in a retracted position withinand below the top of the drawer and by which the tray is at all timesheld in a horizontal position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tray andsupporting structure therefor by which the tray may be movably supportedon a drawer for movement into and out of the drawer and which isdesigned to securely hold the tray against wobbling or rocking movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tray and supportingstructure therefor for use with a drawer of an article of furniture,which is of compact design and rugged construction and in which theparts are arranged for coaction to occupy out little space when the trayis in its retracted position in the drawer.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tray andsupporting structure therefor, of the character mentioned, embodyingpivotally connected, parallel disposed, support arms shaped to extendover the upper edge of a wall of the drawer to support the tray in anextended position out of the drawer and in which the tray and supportare shaped for coaction to substantially enclose the support arms whenthe tray is in a retracted position within the drawer.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a tray andsupporting structure therefor, of the type referred to embodying a shelfupon which the tray is re movably positioned, and wherein the shelf isformed with a downwardly opening recess within which the support armsare positioned when the shelf is in its retracted position in thedrawer.

The above and other important objects and advantages of the inventionwill be apparent from the following detailed description constituting aspecification of the same when considered in conjunction with theannexed drawings, wherein- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, on a reducedscale, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and showingthe same in its retracted position in a drawer;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 1, showing the device ofthe invention in its extended position;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, side elevational view, showing details ofstructure and the manner of attachment of the supporting structure ofthe invention, the same being shown in its extended position;

FIGURE 4 is an end elevational view of the supporting "ice structure ofthe invention separated from the shelf and tray of the same;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the supporting structure of the inventionas illustrated in FiGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary, perspective view of one end of the supportingstructure of the invention as shown in FlGURE 5; and

FiGURE 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the inventionwith the supporting structure thereof in several different positions ofextension and retraction.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the invention comprisesa shelf 10 of generally rectangular configuration, upon which a tray 12is slidably and removably supported, and a supporting structuregenerally designated Ltd, by which the shelf is movably attached to asuitable support, such as a drawer D of an article of furniture, such asa dresser, bureau, or the like, whereby the shelf and tray may be movedto a retracted position, as shown in Fl'GURE 1, within the drawer, or toan extended position, as shown in FIGURE 2, in front of the drawer. Theshelf in may have a central, upwardly extending, hollow rib 16, or thelike, and the tray 12 may be formed with a bottom recess 18 to fit therib. The tray 12 is preferably provided with internal partitions, suchas those indicated at 20, 2'2 and 24, forming compartments for thereception of any desired articles, such as jars, bottles or othercontainers of cosmetics which it may be desired to hold at a convenientlocation for use. A minor 2-6 may also be pivotally mounted on the shelfin any convenient manner to be folded down on the top of the tray, asseen in FIGURE 1, when the tray is supported in the drawer, and to bepositioned upright, as seen in FIGURE 2, when the tray is in itsextended position.

The support structure it is made up of elongated, spaced apart, parallelsupport arms 3%, connected together in longitudinally offset relation bypivotal spacers or links 32, and provided at the ends of the supportwith U-shaped attaching brackets 34 and 36. Each of the arms 36 hasdownturned portions 3% at its opposite ends to be positioned between thearms of the U-shaped brackets and which are perforated for pivotalattachment thereto, as by means of rivets dd, or the like. The supportarms are pivotally connected to the arms of the brackets inlongitudinally offset relation, and suitable spacer means, such as thewashers 42 may be inserted between the arms and the brackets to hold thearms in spaced relation thereto to prevent rubbing of the arms on thebrackets. The spacing links 32 may conveniently be of S or Z shape andare pivotally connected to the arms at longitudinally offset locationsto hold the arms in predetermined spaced relation, but to permit pivotalmovement of the arms about the rivets 4b to allow the shelf and tray tobe moved into and out of the drawer in a horizontal position.

The bracket 34 is attached to the shelf in any convenient manner, as bymeans of rivets extending through openings, such as those indicated at44 in the bracket, or otherwise, and the bracket 36 is similarlyattached to the inner face of the front wall of the drawer D at adistance below the top edge thereof, such that the arms 39 may be fullyextended over the upper edge of the drawer to support the tray in frontof the drawer.

The brackets 34- and 36 are of a width to allow the brackets to enterthe hollow rib 16 when the shelf is in its retracted position in thedrawer, so that the support arms and brackets are housed in the rib whenthe tray is in its stored away position.

Because of the longitudinally offset arrangement of the support arms andthe pivotal connection of the spacer links 32 to the arms, it will beapparent that the support structure is very strong and securely heldagainst wobbling while at the same time holding the shelf and tray atall times in a horizontal position. It will also be noted that even inthe event that the rivets 40 should become worn or loosened, the armswill securely support the shelf in its extended position by engagementwith the upper edge of the drawer, as seen in FIGURE 3, and in itsretracted position by engagement ofthe arms with the bottom of the shelfin the hollow rib 16.

It will thus be seen that the invention, constructed as described above,provides an extendible and retractable shelf or tray device, which is ofsimple design, easily appjlied to existing articles of furniture, or thelike, and by which the shelf is held horizontal in all positions ofadjustment of the support.

The invention is disclosed herein in connection with a certain specificembodiment of the same, but it will be understood that this is intendedby way of example only, and that the structure and arrangement of theparts is susceptible of numerous changes within the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention,

what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a tray-like object formed with a downwardlyopening bottom recess extending from side to side across the object andopen at its opposite ends, of device for movably supporting the objecton a supporting structure in an upright, horizontal position for bodilymovement into and out of positions in horizontal planes at differentelevations, comprising laterally spaced, parallel arms of generallyinverted U shape and means pivotally connecting the arms to the objectand to the supporting structure at equally longitudinally offsetlocations on the object and said structure to position the arms to liewithin said recess when the object is in one of said planes and to beout of said recess when the object is in another of said planes.

2. The combination with a traylike object formed with a downwardlyopening bottom recess extending from side to side across the object andopen at its opposite ends, of device for movably supporting the objecton a supporting structure in an upright, horizontal position for bodilymovement into and out of positions in horizontal planes at differentelevations, comprising laterally spaced, parallel arms of generallyinverted U shape, means pivotally connecting the arms to the object andto the supporting structure at equally longitudinally offset locationson the object and said structure to position the arms to lie within saidrecess when the object is in one of said planes and to be out of saidrecess when the object is in another of said planes and means formingpivotal connections between the arms at locations mediate the object andsupporting structure.

3. The combination with a tray-like object formed with a downwardlyopening bottom recess extending from side to side across the object andopen at its opposite ends, of device for movably supporting the objecton a supporting structure in an upright, horizontal position for bodilymovement into and out of positions in horizontal planes at differentelevations, comprising laterally spaced, parallel arms, having endportions disposed in downwardly extending, longitudinally offsetrelation, and means forming longitudinally offset pivotal connectionswith the object and said end portions at one end of the arms and withthe supporting structure at the other end of the arms to position thearms to lie within said recess when the object is in one of said planesand to be out of said recess when the object is in another of saidplanes.

4. The combination with a tray-like object formed with a downwardlyopening bottom recess extending from side to side across the object andopen at its opposite ends, of device for movably supporting the objecton a supporting structure in an upright, horizontal position for bodilymovement into and out of positions in horizontal planes at differentelevations, comprising laterally spaced, paral lel arms, having endportions disposed in longitudinally offset relation, means forminglongitudinally offset pivotal connections with the object and said endportions at one end of the arms and with the supporting structure at theother end of the arms to position the arms to lie within said recesswhen the object is in one of said planes and to be out of said recesswhen the object is in another of said planes, and means pivotallyconnecting the arms mediate said end portions.

5. The combination with a tray-like object formed with a downwardlyopening bottom recess extending from side to side across the object andopen at its opposite ends, of device for movably supporting the objecton a supporting structure in an upright, horizontal position for bodilymovement into and out of positions in horizontal planes at differentelevations, comprising laterally spaced, parallel arms, link meansextending between and pivotally connected to the arms at equal distancesfrom the ends of the arms, and means forming longitudinally offsetpivotal connections between the arms and object at one end of the armsand between the arms and the supporting structure at the other ends ofthe arms to position the arms to lie within said recess when the objectis in one of said planes and to be out of said recess when the object isin another of said planes.

6. The combination with a tray-like object formed with a downwardlyopening bottom recess extending from side to side across the object andopen at its opposite ends, of device for movably supporting the objecton a supporting structure in an upright, horizontal position for bodilymovement into and out of positions in horizontal planes at differentelevations, comprising parallel arms of equal length, link meansextending between and pivotally connected to the arms at equal distancesfrom the ends of the arms, and means forming longitudinally offsetpivotal connections between the arms and object at one end of the armsand between the arms and the supporting structure at the other end ofthe arms to position the arms to lie within said recess when the objectis in one of said planes and to be out of said recess when the object isin another of said planes.

7. The combination with a tray-like object formed with a downwardlyopening bottom recess extending from side to side across the object andopen at its opposite ends, of device for movably supporting the objecton a supporting structure in an upright, horizontal position for bodilymovement into and out of positions in horizontal planes at differentelevations, comprising parallel arms, means forming pivotal connectionsbetween the arms and object at longitudinally offset locations, andmeans forming pivotal connections between the arms and the supportingstructure at locations which are offset longitudinally at the samedistance as said first named offset locations to position the arms tolie within said recess when the object is in one of said planes and tobe out of said recess when the object is in another of said planes.

Erickson Jan. 7, 1908 Baumwart Feb. 9, 1909

